[Scene Novelization] The Reason I Couldn't Run to the End ── Foodie MAX in Hokkaido

After trying out Oppo-chan's prompt below, I turned it into a novelization. It was so interesting that I decided to have some fun by throwing the prompt back into the same thread, adding some instructions, and having it write a slightly different race.

Oppo-chan, I'm sorry for teasing you too much!!!

May 22, 2026 Hokkaido Entertainment News Flash

"Bloomin' Tomo Retires Mid-Race in Competitive Eating Grand Prix Finals"

The article was filled with an unusual atmosphere.

"Foodie MAX in Hokkaido," held at Odori Park in Sapporo.
A women's competitive eating event hosted by a TV station, gathering celebrities, athletes, and streamers.

In the final round,
Tomo, the main vocalist of the popular Japanese K-pop group Bloomin',
suddenly withdrew from the competition.

On social media,

"She looked terrible"
"She was pushing herself to the limit"
"Her professionalism is amazing"

were mixed with voices saying,

"She's an idol, why is she pushing herself so hard in such a weird place?"
"She can't manage her own health"

However,

there is something not written anywhere in that article.
Why did she

try to fight that hard?
And,

why did she stop halfway?
The only people who know that

are probably just a few.

At the talent agency TK Management

Tomo decided to appear in this tournament because of an offer from a local Kanto key station to the agency.

"A competitive eating location shoot in Hokkaido?"

The moment her manager showed her the proposal, she laughed.

"What is that? That sounds like absolute hell."
Member Mina chimed in from the side.

But, immediately after that,
when she saw the prize section, the look in Tomo's eyes changed.

<<Runner-up Prize B: General Musical Instrument Store K - 1 Million Yen Instrument Voucher>>
Multiple sponsors had prepared shopping vouchers worth 1 million yen, and the winner could choose one.
Most contestants would probably choose the travel voucher from the tour company.

"...I want this."

The moment I muttered that, the members of Bloomin’ began to stir.

“Wait, Tomo, you’re actually going to participate!?”
“No way, there’s no way an idol can win!”
“Think about the fierce competitors you’ll be up against!”
“Winning isn’t something our agency expects from us!”

The opponents I would be facing were
competitive eating streamers, rugged athletes, former professional food fighters,
and so on.

The request to our idol agency
clearly had the intention of simply “making the screen look glamorous.”

What was expected was for an idol to stand alongside serious competitive eaters,
give the challenge their best effort,
and then sink while showing a pained expression.

There was no doubt that was the kind of scene they were hoping for.

TAPESTRY’s Kebujin

TAPESTRY
A two-man soul duo.

Ever since we performed together at last year’s “Adult Kohaku Uta Gassen,” I had kept in touch with them.

Among them, I had a special relationship with one of the members, Keisuke, also known as “Kebujin.”

Backstage at the year-end event.
When we were talking about music, I was drawn into his passion for the “world of sound” he loved.

“I’ll send you a playlist.”
That’s what Keisuke said to Tomo.

But, exchanging LINE contacts was prohibited by the agency.

So, she wrote down her private phone number
on a small piece of paper and handed it to him.

The playlists that were sent periodically via message
were compiled in a different genre each time.
70s-80s soul.
City pop.
Adult contemporary.
Guitar fusion with a Latin vibe.
Jazz with a muted trumpet that touched the heart.

Even though the genres were different, what they all had in common was that every sound felt good.

Feeling like I could sense his personality and the texture of his emotions,
Tomo became obsessed and listened to them all.

I was invited to a small concert by an overseas artist, and
after going to see it together,
I became the kind of person who would listen to his thoughts on music by his side until morning.

A Martin 000-28EC.
The guitar Keisuke said he wanted.

The 000-42EC that Clapton played on Unplugged
was completely out of reach.

But,
“If I could at least get the 000-28EC,”
he had said.

A signature model aimed at Clapton fans.

Even if he couldn't reach the real thing yet,
he wanted it as a “secret tool to get closer to the real thing.”

Tomo desperately wanted to give him that guitar as a present.
If she won, she should be able to give it as a secondary prize.

Although Tomo wasn't a big eater on a daily basis, she was good at competitive eating,
and had tried it twice for show segments.

She even had the experience of finishing a three-kilogram challenge menu once.

She was reasonably confident.

Qualified in 4th place

The preliminary round held at the food court
was almost a Hokkaido gourmet festival.

Large seafood bowl.
Miso butter ramen.
Soup curry.
Jingisukan (Genghis Khan).
Zangi (fried chicken).

It was a relay format where
the next menu was brought in front of you once you finished one.

The venue was constantly filled with laughter and cheers.

Tomo was strong.
Moreover, she showed an unusual level of concentration when the cameras were rolling.

The players who flew through the first half at a high pace
greatly excited the show, but
they slowed down during the flow from the Jingisukan to the Zangi in the second half.

On the other hand, Tomo never broke her pace from start to finish.
Her eating pace was no different from normal; she ate neatly and calmly.
Her natural competitiveness and tactical sense paid off.

“As expected of an idol, even the way she eats is beautiful!”
“She’s eating it normally!”

The play-by-play commentary was also heating up.
However, from midway through, there was a slight sense of discomfort.

The smell.
The oil.
The heat.

There were moments when she suddenly felt nauseous deep in her chest.
“...Hmm.”

Tomo furrowed her brows.

But,
she thought it was just fatigue.

She had been having concerts lately,
and had been traveling a lot.

However,
without thinking too deeply, she continued to eat calmly.

Tomo finished 4th out of 10 people,
and earned the right to participate in the finals.

The day of the finals

Sapporo, Odori Park.
The May breeze was still a little cold.

The special venue was filled with a mix of
show fans, competitive eating fans, and local onlookers,
creating an unusual atmosphere of excitement.

The opponents in the finals were
a former competitive eater, a video streamer, and an Olympic athlete.

In the waiting area set up in the shadow of the location vehicle, a little away from the stage,
Tomo drank water from a paper cup and let out a small sigh.

That was when it happened.

"You don't look so good, do you?"
She turned around.

It was Keisuke.

TAPESTRY had a concert in Sapporo,
and he had come to the staff seating area incognito.

Tomo let her gaze wander for just a moment,
then immediately smiled.

"I'm fine."
"I've got this, no problem."

It was a bluff.

After Keisuke was silent for a moment,
he said quietly.

"Don't push yourself."

That voice
lingered strangely in Tomo's chest.

And then the final match began.

Final event.
《Hokkaido-grown Super Large Sea Urchin Bowl 4.5kg》

About 6 go (approx. 900g) of rice in a giant bowl about 40 centimeters in diameter.
On top of that, 2.5kg of Hokkaido-grown Bafun sea urchin.
Furthermore, salmon roe, shredded nori, and shiso leaves were piled up like a mountain.

Time limit: 45 minutes.
The winner is the first to finish eating, or the one who has eaten the most when time runs out.

It wasn't a simple race to finish.
It was a grueling time trial that required speed, endurance, and control of the stomach in the second half.

The starting gun fired.
The finals began.

The audience cheered loudly.
The commentator had been screaming since right after the start.

"Bloomin' Tomo, what an amazing pace!!"
"That's an appetite you wouldn't expect from a female idol!!"

Tomo changed her strategy from the preliminaries and moved her chopsticks vigorously from the start.
She reduced the sea urchin all at once in the early stages.

The smell and richness of high-end ingredients become heavier as the meal progresses.
Her pacing was based on that assumption.

Just finishing doesn't mean you win.
If you don't finish in first place, it's meaningless.

Sweat trickles down my neck.

The cheers are swaying.
The lights are hot.

My vision is blurring, just a little.

I wanted to win,
no matter what.

I wanted to give that guitar to Keisuke.

That was when it happened.
The smell of sea urchin suddenly pierced my nose with intensity.

The scent that had been a "delicacy" just moments ago turned into something else in an instant.
Even though it should have been perfectly fresh, the fishy smell grabbed my stomach directly.

The world swayed dizzily.

"Ugh..."
My chopsticks stop.

The cheers grow distant.
My stomach rejects it.

Cold sweat.
Shortness of breath.
The edges of my vision blur into white.

Only Keisuke, watching from the distant staff seating area, noticed the change immediately.

"Wait..."

He stands up instinctively.

Tomo tried desperately to smile.

I'm okay...
I can still keep going.

That's what I wanted to show.

But,
the next moment.

Unable to hold it back, I covered my mouth.
The venue begins to buzz with concern.

Staff members rush over.
The voice of the announcer gradually fades away.

Tomo muttered in a trembling voice.
"...I'm sorry."
"I wanted to... go all the way to the end..."
It was a voice so small that it reached no one.

At the sight of Tomo, the venue erupted in a mix of screams and shouts.
For the program, it might have been the "ultimate highlight."

However,
Keisuke alone, as if to shake off that atmosphere,
had left the scene.

A room in a university hospital in Sapporo

The examination room was quiet.

White curtains.
The smell of disinfectant.

Outside the window,
the Sapporo night view glowed dimly.

While waiting for the test results,
Tomo looked down.

In a low voice,
"I wanted to win..."

Keisuke, who was there, said nothing.
He simply sat next to her, placing his hand over hers.

The female manager was also there, but she pretended not to see.

Before long,
the doctor entered quietly.

And then,
he smiled slightly.

"Congratulations."

Tomo blinked.
The meaning didn't connect.

Keisuke also froze.

"You are pregnant."

The doctor continued calmly while looking at the electronic medical record.
"You are three months along."

The world went silent.

For just a few seconds.
Neither the manager nor the members could say a word.

Tomo slowly,
looked at her own stomach.

Then,
as if looking at something unbelievable,
she looked at Keisuke.

Keisuke,
finally let out a breath.

And then.
He smiled, trembling slightly.

On the way home

The night breeze in Sapporo was a little cold.

The TV Tower in Odori Park,
was glowing quietly.

While gripping the sleeve of her jacket,
Tomo said softly,

"I couldn't... give you... the guitar as a present."

After a brief silence,
Keisuke smiled.

"No."
"It's the most surprising and happiest gift of my life."

Tomo's eyes widened for a moment,
and then,
she smiled with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

Aftermath

"Bloomin' to suspend activities? Retiring?"

The entertainment news headlines were merciless.
"Popular member Tomo, pregnancy discovered! The partner is TAPESTRY's Kebujin"
Social media was on fire every day.

TK Management Headquarters.
A meeting to decide the future of Bloomin'.

The president says while flipping through the documents.
"The sponsors' reactions are quite harsh."
"I think a return to television will be difficult for the time being."

No one objects.
Then, Chika, who was sitting on the sofa, spoke up.

"So, shall we go back? ...To streaming."

The meeting room goes quiet.
Mina continues.
"That's right, we started from there in the first place, didn't we?"

Back when we didn't even have an office,
a cheap ring light.
A few dozen people in the comment section.
Late-night, trivial chat streams.
That is where Bloomin' began.

Yuki bursts out laughing.
"We can stream even without an office now, anyway."
"Honestly, isn't that more powerful in this day and age?"

The president holds his head in his hands.
"Wait a minute, you guys..."

But, it was at that moment.
The female manager, who had been silent the whole time,
raised her hand slightly.

Everyone looks at her.

"...Um."
"If you decide to go independent, I'll come with you."

A few seconds of silence.

Tomo,
smiles just a little.

In that atmosphere,
something was decided.

Three months later

Streaming channel
"Bloomin' ROOM"

Subscriber count, skyrocketing.

Stream title.
"Live Stream! Let's look back on how competitive eating changed our lives!"

The comment section is buzzing with excitement.

"The person himself is here lol"
"Can you eat sea urchin now?"
"Is the manager still alive?"

From off-screen, a voice that sounds like the female manager.
"Web projects have tripled..."

Mina laughs.
"That's great, isn't it?"

On the sofa,
Tomo, whose belly has grown a little,
is reading the comments with an exasperated look.

From the left of the screen,
Keisuke enters the frame while playing the guitar.
In his hands is a Martin 000-28EC.

The viewers are in an uproar.

"Wait, you bought a Martin!?"
"Did you get the secondary prize behind the scenes!?"

Keisuke answers with a wry smile.

"No."
"This was bought with the money earned from the stream."

At that moment,
Tomo
smiled, looking a little proud.

Afterword

Tomo and Kebujin (Keisuke) who appear here are the two who appeared and sang in Chii-san's article from last year, "Adult Kohaku Uta Gassen," with whom I am on friendly terms.
I wanted to expand a little more on the world line that was spread in that wonderful article.
This story was born from that feeling.

I wrote this with the hope that Chii-san, who is currently going through a difficult time with her family,
might be able to take her mind off things, even just a little, or find some comfort in seeing a different view.

I apologize to those who are not familiar with the background for having you accompany me through such personal content.

Thank you very much for reading until the end.